New York (State). Conservation Dept.

The State Legislature has enacted the laws that have shaped the general policies of the Conservation Department and its successor agency, the Department of Environmental Conservation. However, in most instances it has allowed the department to draft and enforce the detailed regulations needed to implement the broad policies outlined in legislation. Regulations issued by the department acquire the force of law when the Department of State publishes them in the Official Compilation of Codes, Rules and Regulations of the State of New York (commonly known as the NYCRR).

From the description of Conservation Department rules and regulations, 1931-1969. 1944-1969. (New York State Archives). WorldCat record id: 84673418

President Franklin Roosevelt's Emergency Conservation Work Act, designed to put unemployed men ages 17 to 28 to work developing forest lands and parks, was passed in March of 1933. The Emergency Conservation Work Act was changed to the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1937. The program was administered by the U.S. Army, the National Park Service, and the Federal Security Agency. The young men were trained at army camps and then transferred to work camps, which provided shelter, food, medical, religious, and educational services as well as employment. The CCC camps nationwide worked on projects in the areas of structural improvement; transportation; erosion control; flood control; forest culture; forest protection; landscape and recreation; and range, wildlife, and other projects.

The CCC camps operated from 1933 to July 1942, when they were closed due to the need for young men for the war effort. At one point New York had 102 of the camps: 39 state forest work camps; 9 private land tent camps; 8 soil conservation service camps; 28 state park camps; 13 Corps of Engineers camps; and 5 military camps. The aggregate number of New York men employed in these camps was 220,752.

In New York, the major projects were in the areas of recreation, fishery, forestry, and pest control. The recreation projects included constructing foot, horse, and ski trails; camping, picnicking and caretaking facilities; and dams and bridges. The fishery projects consisted of developing the Randolph Hatchery, building small dams and rock pools, and planting willows and shrubs along river embankments. The forestry projects consisted of constructing truck trails and lookout towers, and fighting fires. The pest control units treated white pine blister rust, Dutch Elm disease, and infestations of gypsy and brown moths.

From the description of Civilian Conservation Corps camp and personnel files, 1935-1942. (New York State Archives). WorldCat record id: 80190923